


Rebel Scum

by Kagrbu



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-17 12:41:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29100471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kagrbu/pseuds/Kagrbu
Summary: Adira Lightbringer E'voss, a Jedi turned rebel turned Mandalorian, is a bounty hunter. She has lived through everything from the Clone Wars, Order 66, and the Fall of Mandalore to a second insurrection and a new Jedi Order. Nothing surprises her anymore. But meeting someone she knew as a child and his new caretaker may finally change her mind on how depressing the galaxy is.
Relationships: Din Djarin/Original Female Character(s), The Mandalorian/ Female OC
Kudos: 16





	1. A Distant Memory

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't like all the fanfics of Din Djarin being a playboy and like, getting down and dirty super quick cuz I imagine he is soft and isn't like, whipping it out all the time. This is my original character, some canon some fanon, mostly canon compliant. For an intense description of my OC, check my other post, entitled The Jedi.

'Master Yoda, I have to tell them...........I can't watch them die!' The council chamber was cold. Master Mundi laughed. Even Master Windu cracked a smile. She saw them move in on her. 'No.... NO..... This isn't how it ends......' A sharp burn ran through her shoulder. She looked down to see a deep purple blade stuck through it. A choked sob forced its way out. Falling. Falling. 'KHAENA!' Blood on her hands. Everywhere. Watching her die again... Khaena screamed. Falling. Falling.

Ryn's eyes flew open and she shot up, sweat slicked and breathing hard. She rubbed her eyes, pushing deep enough she could see stars. Everything ached still, including the blaster shot she had gotten the day prior when that bounty found the space between her pauldron and cuirass. She knew she should start carrying her sabers with her more often, but she didn't want to deal with the heat and attention that their silver blades would bring with them. Her armor already made her stand out, the last thing she needed was to be labeled a Jedi. Maybe she would just work on using her force block better. Bounty hunting was hard, she was already a notorious Mandalorian, and she had heard there was a covert looking for her. Mostly she heard they were trying to kill her, but that was another issue. She was an unattached Mandalorian, anyway. Ryn dragged herself out of bed and over to the med kit. She pulled out the bacta and sprayed her shoulder again. It looked burned, but not horrible. It would be better by the night. She moved across the floor to the refresher and started the shower. While it warmed, she picked her datapad off the counter and checked her next bounty. It was some guy who had pissed off the Hutt family. She was not interested in going back to Tatooine, but it looked like that would be the only way to collect. Ryn pushed the bad feelings aside, placed the datapad on the table, and padded back into the bathroom. The warm water sunk deep in to her bones, feeling like a deep hug and settling in comfort. She knew she wouldn't be clean for a week at best, the bounty had made it all the way to Bracca. Bracca was gross, rainy, and only brought back memories of a time she didn't want to remember. It was going to be a long hunt that she was not looking forward to. A bang brought Ryn's attention back to the present. She had dropped the shampoo bottle. Sighing, she picked it back up, returned it to its rightful place, and started scrubbing. No one even saw her skin, but she kept herself clean and soft. 

As soon as she stepped out of the shower, instant cold froze her feet. She knew it was coming, but it didn't make it any easier. The refresher was the only place she was never wearing boots, it made her feet soft and sensitive. Ryn dried off in a hurry and put on her underclothes, then popped up to the cockpit. Getting the coordinates set for Bracca was easy, even in the old ship. She ran her fingers down the wall plates as she climbed down. Her baby, The Pursuer, was a VCX- 100 Light Freighter model that she had intensely modified. It was black on the outside, blending in the stars just like she wanted. It was hidden from scanners, making it overall ideal. Most people never saw her coming, and she liked it that way. She missed her old ship still, The Visionary, which had been left behind when she had walked from the Order. She was positive it was sitting in a hangar somewhere, and would have gone to find it if it was completely obvious as a Jedi ship, with the big symbol in the metal on the side. It held too many good moments to forget, but too many bad ones to remember. Ryn ran her fingers absentmindedly through the top of her hair, then remembered she had to try to take care of it. Even with deft fingers, she still couldn't manage to braid, so the curls ended up odd or frizzy. She walked back to the bathroom and attempted to style it. She started staring in the mirror, every pale scar standing out against her light tan. There were too many to count, and that was on her face alone. The big one, from the Acklay, still light pink even through the years. She traced it, down her forehead, through her eyebrow, down her midcheek. The several shrapnel wounds, the lightsaber mark on her chin from Count Dooku, the baby Nexu claw marks. Her old friends, Ben and Ani, and used to tell her that she always ran face-first into battle and they weren't wrong. She got lost in her memory, battles won and lost, pain and excitement, everything bundled together so that she could handle the things that were happening. She had been so young then. A brush of the choker that surrounded the base of her neck, the beads small and cold and beskar. Khaena had given it to her, as a betrothal, a promise never kept. It brought her back to the present. She heard a beep going off in the cockpit, signifying an hour until Bracca. She ran her fingers down her face, dragging her nails and sighing. It was time to get started. 

Ryn walked to her room. All the armor was hanging on the wall or stacked, exactly how it should be. Each movement was slow, pointed. Ryn pulled off her town boots and smiled at the armor. First was the flight suit. She zipped it up and buttoned the cover. She pulled on her boots, all the way up to her knees. Knee guards were attached, followed by thigh pieces. A prayer was whispered as she continued. Cod piece. Cuirass. Pauldrons. Vambraces. Belt. Vibroblade straps around her shin. Hooded cowl. That piece was her favorite. The soft blue fabric with the silver flecks that drifted all the way down to her feet. It was pretty, she thought. It reminded her of home. Last piece. She picked up the helmet and stared at the T-shaped visor. It protected her, kept her anonymous, but she felt as though she was nothing but a robot once it went on. 2 deep breaths later, it was pulled over the top of her head and the rest of her was hidden. Weapon time. She walked to the weapon wall she kept in the other room. Three vibroblades, one down in her shin strap, one on her waist, one on her arm. Two mid-range blasters on her belt. Jetpack placed on her back. She looked at her sabers and bit her lip. Ryn hated the idea of people finding it on her ship, but the risk of being seen with them was higher. She gave in to her heart, just this one time. She attached them both, in the correct order, sideways on the back of her belt. She slung her techstaff over her shoulders. She still didn't like it, wishing she could have had a vibrosword, but Ryn knew people would see too many similarities. Flexing her wrists, Ryn checked for her flamethrower and her grappling line. Both looked good, so she checked her shield. When everything checked out, she climbed back in to the cockpit. It was perfect timing. Bracca was now in view.


	2. Dank Ferrik

Din Djarin woke with a start. He knew he didn't wait long enough to stop the nightmares this time. He yawned and went to rub his eyes before he bumped into the cold metal of his helmet. He groaned. The little sleep he had gotten wasn't good enough to actually rest him. One of these days he was going to find something, some drug or implant that would mean he would never have to sleep. It was a waste of time, for him at least. He went to check on the kid. He hoped his moans of pain hadn't woken the little green monster. He climbed down the ladder, out of the cockpit and into his room. The pram was floating quietly in the corner. He popped it open and saw the baby with a gentle expression, breathing softly. Din sighed with a slight smile. Every time he looked at that kid, he felt better about keeping it. He had his own little foundling, though he would never admit it out loud. It stirred something deep within him. While he never did want to settle down, he found as he was getting older he wished his bed wasn't so sad and his ship not as empty. Watching the little green child pad across the floor made him wish there were more little feet to fill the quiet. He pushed the thoughts back out of his head. He had to head somewhere to find work, and he was mostly in the middle of nowhere. 

The whole ship rocked. Din knew the feeling the moment it happened. Someone was shooting at the Crest. A soft yawn shifted his attention, so he grabbed the Pram and sprinted to the cockpit. He strapped down the baby and jumped into the pilot's seat. He watched red streaks of lights fly past, and started taking evasive maneuvers. The baby was wide awake, and Din knew immediately he would cranky later, but it wasn't his immediate problem. He looked behind the ship. It was a small bounty hunting ship, and he sighed. This was not how he imagined his day going. 

"Hand over the Child, Mando." Two of the bolts slammed in to the Crest's wing. " I might let you live." Din's head was on a swivel as smoke started in the cockpit. The Crest took another hit and the child bumped around. Another shot to the engine. Din started pressing buttons on the dash, knowing that one of them would help eventually. The left engine died out. 

"Hold on." Din told the child, knowing full well it probably had no idea what he was saying. He grabbed the control sticks and pulled back as hard as he could. He dodged the next blasts, but he knew the Crest wasn't doing well. He sighed again. Definitely not how he pictured his day going. 

"I can bring you in warm, or I can bring you in cold." Din bristled at the sentiment. He pushed more buttons, then without warning to the child, he grabbed the double yokes, flipped the engines, and went flying backward. The other pilot dodged but still hit the top of Din's right engine, which was the only working one. The bounty hunter's ship focused on Din's aiming device. 

"That's my line." And Din shot him down. 

The other ship exploded, and the Crest floated down through the debris. The ship crawled through space, blaring alarms that Din repeatedly tried to silence. "We're losing fuel, " he said to no one. Then the ship died. The Child giggled at the sudden change, and Din flipped back to glare before he realized the kid couldn't even tell. He got up and reset one of the panels, and the essential systems sprang back to life. More buttons pushed and more switches flicked, and the Crest powered back to life, although it seemed reluctant. Tatooine was right in view. Not ideal, but he could make this work. 

"This is Mos Eisley tower, we are tracking you. Head for Bay 3-5, over."

"Copy that. Locked in for 3-5." The ship barely managed to make it to the small bay, smoke spewing out the left engine and the whole ship creaking. Din put the child back down for his nap, then lowered ramp. 3 little pit droids popped up, and Din gunned for them immediately. They shrunk back down with a squeal.

"HEY! HEY!" A frizzy haired woman in a red jumpsuit leaped out of her seat in the maintenance area. The little droids popped back up, less afraid now that their owner was out there. "You damage one of my droids, you'll pay for it."

"Just keep them away from my ship."

"Yeah? You think that's a good idea do ya? Let's look at your ship." She touched the side. "Whew." She held a scanner. "Look at that. You've got a lot of carbon scoring building up top. Yeah." She continued to look at the ship, obviously not impressed. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were in a shootout." She turned to look at him. He just tilted his head. "Special tool for that one." The woman sighed, then put her arm farther in the place she was looking. "I'm gonna have to rotate that. You got a fuel leak. Look at this, this is a mess! How did you even land?" She flipped around and started walking toward him. "That's gonna set you back." He reached for his belt. 

"I've got 500 imperial credits." He held them out to her. 

"That's all you got?" She grabbed them from him. She flipped them in her hands. "Welp, what do you guys think?" She looks at the droids, who started chittering. The woman looked back at the ship. "That'll at least cover the hangar." She looked him up and down. 

"I'll get you your money." She looked at him again, lips pursed. 

"Hmm. I've heard that before." She places her hand on her hip. 

"Just remember-" 

"No droids. I heard ya. You don't have to say it twice." He turned away, ending the conversation. "Shsssk. Womp rat. "

Din walked out of the spaceport and into the street. He headed straight for the cantina. He turned, and one of the streets had stormtrooper helmets on pikes. He didn't know a lot about the war, but smirked at the idea of an army being shredded by simple townspeople. He walked through. The cantina wasn't that hard to find. He walked in and straight up to the bar. Everything was in there, from humans to bugs to droids. "Hey droid. I'm a hunter. I'm looking for some work."

"Unfortunately, the bounty guild no longer operates on Tatooine." 

"I'm not looking for guild work."

"I'm afraid that does not improve your situation, at least by my calculations. 

"Think again, tin can." Din turned slowly, unsure if the voice was referring to him or the droid. "If you're looking for work," the young man gestured, " have a seat my friend. Names Toro. Toro Calican. C'mon, relax. " Din slowly walked over to the boy and sat across from him. " Picked up this bounty puck before I left the mid-rim. " A photo pulled up on the puck. "Names Fennec Shand. An Assassin. Heard she's been on the run since the New Republic put her employers on lockdown. 

"I know the name." Who did this kid think Din was? A Mandalorian bounty hunter who didn't know one of the most infamous sharpshooters in the galaxy? 

"Yeah? Well I followed this tracking fob here. The other Mandalorian said no, but you seem... less busy. Positional data suggests she's headed out beyond the Dune Sea. Should be an easy job." 

"Well, good luck with that." Din stood. He wasn't willing to deal with Fennec Shand, certainly not with a boy. But the kid mentioned another Mandalorian. He didn't know of any like him that would come out there. 

"Woah, woah wait, I thought you said you needed work?" Din turned back to face the kid, who was still sitting. He was interested, but only in the prospect of finding another Mandalorian. 

"How long you been with the Guild?"

"Long enough." 

"Clearly not. Fennec Shand is an elite mercenary. She made her name killing for all the top crime syndicates, including the Hutts. If you go after her, you won't make it past sunrise." Din walked away for real this time. The other Mando had been smart. Toro jumped up and followed him. 

"This is my first job.' Din stopped, then turned to look back at him. "You can keep the money, all of it. I just need this job to get into the Guild." Toro shrugged. "I can't do it alone." Din knew this was a bad idea. A horrible one, actually. But the kid looked so sincere. Din knew he was being soft. He cursed his own kid silently, knowing that his tough exterior and even tougher interior were cracking. 

"Meet me at Hanger 3-5 in half an hour. Bring two speeder bikes." Toro nodded, clearly relieved. "And give me the tracking fob." Din held out his hand. Toro stared at him, the slammed it against the wall, where it sputtered and died. Din gave him the same look he had given his own kid a couple hours prior. 

"Don't worry, I got it all memorized." Toro pointed to his head. 

"Half an hour." And Din left. 

"You're stuck with me now partner!"

Din went back to the hangar. The ramp was down, and it looked like some work had been done. He climbed up the ramp of the Crest to start packing. He turned. His bedroom, well, the room that housed his bed, was open. And the kid was gone. He sprinted back down the ramp. "HEY!" Peli, who was back where she had been sitting when Din had first landed, jolted awake, little green kid in her arms. 

"Ah! I'm awake! I'm awake!" She walked out of the room, green baby cooing his discomfort at the noise. 

"Where is he!" 

"Quiet, oh shh, its okay. You woke it up! Do you have any idea what it took me to get it to sleep?"

"Give it to me." He pointed at the kid. 

"Not so fast." The woman turned away from him, putting her shoulder between him and the kid. "You can't just leave a child all alone like that!" She gestured to the ship. "You have an awful lot to learn about raising a young one. Anyway, I started the repair on the fuel leak." Din stopped listening. She stopped talking, but gestured at the child. He took a gamble. 

"Thank you." 

"Guess I was right, you got a job didn't you?" She followed him as he walked out of the hangar, bag in hand. "You know, it's costing me a lot to keep those droids even powered up!" He walked up to the two speeders that were sitting outside. 

"Hey Mando, what do ya think? Not too shabby, huh?" Din placed his bag on the one closest to him and started looking. "What did you think? I'm from Corellia." He turned to the woman. "Ma'am," he said as he nodded. The woman looked at him with distaste. Toro looked at the green thing that was giggling in her arms, then shook his head as he got on the bike. Din followed suit. He knew this wasn't going to end well. 

Things with Toro went about exactly how Din expected: Shand dead, Calican trying to steal his kid and kill him, then Calican dead, and Peli paid. It had been a long day. He wanted to relax, but Peli had the kid sleeping most of the day and it seemed he was definitely nowhere close to being tired. Din decided to take a chance. 

"Can you keep him for just a little bit longer?"  
"Hmm. Some dad, aren't ya? You just got back and now you're leaving again." Din just stared. He would live without it, but why take the kid to a cantina again?

"It won't be long." Peli sighed. Din opened his mouth to speak again, but she cut him off. 

"Whatever you need. Go....... blow off some steam or whatever. Brothel is a little past the cantina."

"I'm not..... I just need......" he tried to stutter out. Nobody had said something like that before. He had been all business since, well, since Xi'an had.... he blocked the memory. 

"I'm not judging, Mando. Better he's here with me than in some cantina. " She spun on her heel and walked inside. Din really needed that drink.


	3. All Business

Landing on Bracca was going to be the easiest thing of this bounty. It was littered with old ships, all too familiar to Ryn. She stepped down the ramp and out of the spaceport. She watched the crowds part for her, knowing it was out of fear and respect. She wondered how many also had bounties, and what they where for. Whatever it was, she didn't have any pucks but the one for the Cathar from the Hutts, so she ignored everyone else. She took in the weather when she finally stepped out from under the coverings. It was cold and raining lightly. She knew Bracca wouldn't be in her list of favorite planets, but the feeling of unease settled over her deep into her bones. This would be more dangerous than she thought. She set off. 

Ships were everywhere. Collapsed Jedi fighters and TIE's, obviously gutted. Starships, grey ones and white ones, were littering the ground. Ryn considered going in one of them, but she knew they had been torn to shreds from people looking for worthwhile parts and pieces. Nothing that would have belonged to a Jedi or even a clone would be left. She bit her lip and kept walking. A single tear burned a trail down her face. She didn't bother to get rid of it. It was a tear for her friends, her family. She didn't mind it. When Ryn walked past a fighter that looked just like her own, she stopped and stared. A hand brushed over the old symbol. Another tear rolled down. She let it drip out from under her helmet, then stood. This was a job that she had to do. It wasn't her fault the stupid Cathar chose one of the worst places in the galaxy for her to be. She would live now and let her heart break later. Ryn trudged on. 

It was a cliff. No, not a cliff, an opposite cliff. Maybe a cliff, but she was at the bottom. A sigh later, she began jumping. Ryn didn't use her jetpack this time. She never got to jump like this anymore, feeling the weightlessness the force gave her. First to the right, where the tip of a star destroyer jutted out. Light as a feather, her feet landed on the hard metal. It was almost incredible and would have been if she hadn't done it a million times before. She pushed off again to a ship she didn't recognize, and left as soon as she landed. If someone had been standing at the bottom, they would have watched in wonder. Good thing they weren't. Ryn got to the top. Bracca was huge. She pulled out the bounty puck. It was starting to beep a little quicker than it had when she landed. At least she was going in the right direction. Standing at the top of the structure gave her a good view. There was a small train station below her that ran straight to the middle of the pit, where it looked like a tiny city had been built out of parts. That was where she needed to go. The metal was wet and slick, so she slid down. As she picked up speed, she smiled. Ani would have been jealous. 60 feet to the bottom. 50 feet. 40 feet. 30 feet. She jumped. For most people it would have looked dangerous, but her footing was sure and she dropped into a roll when she landed. It was smooth, pretty even. She looked dangerous as ever, just how she liked. 

The train station was empty, except for the lone ticket seller. It was clearly the middle of the day, most people were working already. She popped up to the ticket droid. "One ticket to the middle of the city," she said coolly. The droid stamped a ticket and handed it to her. Clearly not one for talk, she thought. She walked to the train. Old and crusty, it made even her matte armor look gleaming. She stepped on and headed to the conductor. The droid took her ticket and pointed to bench in the first car, then put up a two fingers. Two minutes to departure. Ryn moved to the bench and sat. She guessed it wasn't a long ride, so she sat straight-backed and started meditating. She was the lone passenger and the droid would have no idea what she was doing anyway. The shudder of the train was a normal feeling, and soon the silent hum lulled her in to a sense of comfort. 

It was too soon when the train stopped. She stepped up, nodded to the conductor, then stepped off. Every single eye moved toward her. She was used to this. When her visor moved, so would the eyes. They stared openly, but didn't want her to know that. She kept walking, straight to the cantina. She stopped right before she walked in and stepped to the side. The door flew open and someone came out with it. She gingerly stepped over the body. Her presence alone was enough to stop the fighting. She stepped right up to the bar. The bartender had a little bit of fear in his eyes, but he swallowed and attempted to meet her gaze. 

"Any new Cathar around here?"

"Well, there are a lot of people that come in and out of Bracca....." He eyes trailed off with his sentence. Ryn set her hand on the table. 

"I'm not here to hurt anyone. I'm looking for a Cathar you don't know. He isn't working, he's probably just lounging around. He has more credits than makes sense. "

"Maybe.... maybe there is someone. Why should I tell you?' Ryn popped her neck and stretched her arms slowly before setting the same one back on the bar. 

"Because you want to." Somehow the bartender knew she was right. He did want to. Even her voice alone made him want to tell her everything he knew about, well, everything. It was lilting, soft and sweet even through the vocoder. He started to stammer. 

"Oth- Other cantina. Droid complained about some cat beast laying around his bar, but always had the money to pay. Droid thought he was suspicious."

"Where?'

"Two blocks that way" he pointed. "The Rainy Starship." He thought he heard a scoff come out from under the helmet. She tipped her head and walked out. The bartender shuddered in relief. That was more terror than he was willing to deal with. He vaguely remembered another incident that had happened years ago, where multiple stormtroopers came through the bar. Some talk about a wizard or something. He was happy then to never have something like that happen again. But here was some new masked warrior that commanded respect, and he was honestly uncomfortable with how she made him feel. He was content to never see her again. 

Ryn walked out and rolled her eyes. The Rainy Starship was quite possibly the dumbest cantina name she had heard so far, and she had seen a LOT of bad cantina names. The walk was quick, even as the streets started to fill. Everyone seemed to know what was about to go down, and she didn't mind the fear that was making her job easier. When she got there, the bartender had been right. Even though his normally blue hair had obviously been sheared in some poor attempt to hide, Ryn knew exactly who she was looking at. She stalked up to him. " Xundyrr Mirgak." The cat's eyes widened in surprise. Ryn smiled. This would be easy. 

In the end, it was not easy. The cathar sprang at her, claws out. She drew two vibroblades. The bounty said alive, but not unharmed. Maybe some Achilles tendons would be slashed today. The claws scratched uselessly against her helm, and a short laugh barked out. She stood in her stance, not actively trying to hit the cathar but obviously ready for a fight. He growled at her and she growled right back. It took him by surprise, and she launched at him, using her shoulder to drive him into the wall. He hit the wall with a thud and hissed. Ryn pulled her head back and slammed it, face first, into his. Deep red blood spurted out of his nose, covering her helmet. She pulled back and the cathar dropped. She slapped on the cuffs and picked him up. This one would be better in carbonite. 

Xundyrr woke up while the kriffing crazy chick who hit him was carrying him over her shoulder. He was a little confused as to how she seemed to moving so lightly, even while carrying someone double her size and almost three times her weight. His head throbbed, but he wouldn't give her the satisfaction. "How much longer? Where are you taking me? Who is the bounty from?" She scoffed at him.

"We are almost to my ship. You are going back to Tatooine, to the Hutts." He hissed in response. This was not the way it should have gone. He had come so far from Tatooine, gone to a full planet. And it had only taken a month. Who knew what the Hutts would end up doing to him. He felt her pace shift. He must have been out for awhile, she had taken him on the train and gotten all the way to the outmost city. He realized people started staring, and bared his fangs and a nearby group. They shuddered and turned away. This was embarrassing, being carried by such a small person who was obviously a bounty hunter. Somehow he knew this wouldn't be the most pain he would feel in the next few weeks. 

Kriff, this dude was heavy! Ryn had felt her shoulders burn and knew she would be sore. But she was almost back to her ship, and she could drop this bounty off and relax for a week or two. The reward was high enough. She knew it hadn't been given to anyone else, the Hutts had exclusively worked with her on bounties like this. They only dealt with the true professionals on matters such as this. The job would get done, fast, and the shame of having money stolen by a servant would remain secret. Soon, the spaceport was in view and Ryn picked up her pace. The guards stared at her, but did not say a word as she moved past. She smirked under her helmet. They didn't need to see the puck to know that this was legal, they knew what she did. The Pursuer, aptly named, sat, the ramp shining like it always did. Ryn walked up. The cathar started to fight the binders. She knew he would not go in to the carbonite easily, no being did. It was extremely unpleasant at best, and severely damaging at worst. He was lucky though, Ryn didn't have far to go. The only way he would have unpleasant effects was if the Hutts left him on their wall, which was of no concern to her. He shouldn't have done something so stupid to the biggest crime lords in the Outer Rim. His movements soon became too much, and Ryn could not keep a tight hold on him. She launched him over the top of her head he rag-dolled on the ground. It seemed the fall was enough to knock him back out from his previous knock to the head. Ryn sighed, then dragged him to the carbonite chamber. She was suddenly glad again that she had paid to have it installed, the convenience had saved her often. The cathar was propped up, and Ryn hit the button. She watched him freeze with an obvious lack of interest. Ryn turned. " Dank Ferrik, " she whispered. Mud from her boots was all over the floor, and she suddenly remembered her cowl was dripping. This would take forever to clean up. She pulled the ramp up, then took off the offending boots and cowl and left them by the door. She padded up the stairs to the cockpit and started setting her course to Tatooine, determined to not get water all over her pilot seat. When she hit the buttons and launched into lightspeed, her sock-covered feet slipped and she ended up on her butt on the floor. "Kriff!" She stood up and rubbed the spot where she had landed. She double-checked her course and when she was satisfied, stalked off to clean up and dry out her armor. 

Tatooine pulled up faster than she thought it would. Ryn had gotten a little sleep, eaten, and cleaned all of her armor up. It was time to go.


	4. The Run-In

Ryn got back into her pilot's chair and started her landing sequence as soon as she passed the atmosphere. The twin suns were in the middle of the sky, and she figured she might go with the cathar back to the Hutts.

"This is Mos Eisley tower, we are tracking you. Head for Bay 3-6."

"Locked in for Bay 3-6. Thanks boys." Ryn started pulling down into the bay. A flash of silver caught her eye. A gunship? Not just any gunship, but a Pre-Empire gunship. She checked her scanner. No hint of the ship. 'Huh". She made a mental note to check it out. She might have felt guilty, but it had taken her favorite Bay, so she didn't feel that bad. She landed, the muscle memory allowing her to think about the gunship. After she finished, she threw on all her armor again, as fast as she could. It only took her a minute, she had practiced this a million times. After she finished, the the ramp was lowered and she walked out. The Hutts had already been summoned for, so she had some time, but they expected her to come with them, so she had to stay close. She spotted the older gentleman who must have been the bay owner. He just nodded at her. She stood still, so he stood and walked over. 

"So it would appear that Motto isn't the only one who got lucky this week. How long are you going to be here?" Ryn stared at him, head tilted to the side to signify confusion. He continued, " Big shiny guy who looked similar to you walked out of her bay. You don't hate droids though, do ya? I can't do all the same stuff anymore. Never thought I'd see one Mandalorian, let alone two in the same week! That is what you are, ain't it? A Mandalorian?" Ryn nodded. Another Mandalorian? It would cause trouble for sure. 

"Yeah, I am. I'll be here a few days, not sure exactly how many though." He nodded repeatedly. "Just so you know, the Hutts are coming to get the bounty I have. Make yourself scarce during this time." The man started to look pale. "Let the droids work on the ship, do not come outside until dark at the earliest. Make sense?" Color started to come back to his face and he gave a pained smile. Ryn walked away, confident the man would listen. It was poor taste not too. 

Peli was inside playing Sabacc with the droids. There was a little green beast sitting on her lap. Ryn immediately felt like she got hit by a freighter. The Force flew through her so strong she thought she had been taken by a whirlwind. The breath was torn from her lungs, all the blood drained to her feet. She used the force in little ways, trying to hide it from others, and all her power can rushing back in one go. The ground started to sway, and she thought of the first time she had used the force on any sort of large scale. The feeling was the same. "Mando? Hey, Mando?? Kriff Mando, what's happening?" Ryn's eyes flew back open again, and she saw the frizzy hair of Peli Motto above her. Above her? Had she fallen? "

"Dank Ferrik," Ryn said as she sat up. A little green- well, thing, was standing behind Peli's legs. She knew this thing. "Master Yoda?" The big brown eyes stared at her quizzically. "No...." she whispered. "Not Master Yoda. Grogu?" A smile crossed the childs face. "Kriff, Grogu!" Ryn flew to her feet with him in her arms. She hugged his gentle form as best she could, and felt the warmth Grogu was sending through the force. She pulled him back. "I missed you! I can't believe you made it!" The kid babbled happily. "I should have-----" He silenced her thought. Peli stood in shock.

"You know this thing?"  
"I do! Peli, remember when I told you I had a very long history with a lot of complications? Well, Grogu was part of that." Ryn faced back toward Grogu and stared him in the eyes. "Who are you with, kiddo? Who is taking care of you?" Peli answered for him. 

"Mandalorian, just like you. Lot bigger and shinier though, " she said with a laugh. Ryn placed Grogu gently back on the ground. He clung to her leg. 

"Peli, listen to me. You can't tell him about me. You can't tell him anything about what just happened." Peli opened her mouth to try and reply, but Ryn held up her hand. "I've got to go. The Hutt's are here, I can here them. I was being serious Peli, he can't know. Whoever he is, it is a risk." Peli nodded, her mouth still open in a response. Ryn picked Grogu back up, gently placed their foreheads together, then handed him back to Peli. With a single nod, Ryn sprinted off in the direction of her bay. 

Ryn recognized the handsome Mirialan standing in front of the open ship as soon as she saw him. It was Bib Fortuna's right hand man, the one who arguably ran Jabba's Palace, Niikohalex Foxhund. "Niko!" Ryn said. They had been fairly close, for the type of work they did together. Niko did a quick glance around. Only droids were nearby, so he pulled her in to a hug. 

"Adira, it's great to see you! Incredible work, my dear. I came to make sure Xundyrr made it home safely." 

"Well for now he isn't doing anything, Nik." A green hand brushed the top of her helmet. 

"Not without trouble, I see. " Ryn laughed. 

"I never can seem to get it all out of the helm. He was on Bracca, can you believe that? Bracca. A miserable place to spend your last days of freedom. " This time it was Nik's turn to laugh.

"I would appreciate, oh great bounty hunter, if you would be willing to accompany me back to claim your prize?" Ryn nodded at him, looking deep into his dark blue eyes. 

"Is this your way of trying to get me into your bed?" The Mirialan raised an eyebrow at her response. 

"Adira, if it was that easy to get you to do anything other than kiss me on the cheek, I would have taken you long ago. To even get that kiss you had to be drugged up on bacta to the point you were out of your mind, then you giggled about it for the rest of the night. " He smiled at the memory, but wished he could see under her helmet. He heard a scoff squeeze its way out of the vocoder. 

"Let's go bring this tough guy home, shall we?" Nik nodded at her and reached for her hand. Ryn pretended not to notice and walked toward the cathar slab that the droids had dragged out during their conversation. There was a rather small transport, but she assumed the droids would magnetize to the sides or something similar to fit the other three living things. Nik followed her, but continued where she stopped and stepped on to the small ramp. He held out his hand again, but this time Ryn took it and moved to the co-pilot's chair. Everything was soon ready and they moved on the Jabba's Palace. 

The journey through the desert was as comfortable as it could be. The heat pushed down on Ryn's shoulders, but the beskar remained cool to the touch, so she kept her hands and arms as close to the cuirass as she could. This mostly meant crossing them, leaving her with a vibe most people would stay away from, but Niko did not see her as any different. As they approached Jabba's Palace, Ryn sat up a little straighter, not scared, but knowing that there was always a potential threat in this dungeon. She was going to leave this place as soon as allowed, and get off Tatooine as soon as she could. The bad feelings crushed her chest. Ever since she had seen Grogu, the force seemed to be holding her hostage, as though angry at seeing her again. She willed them to go away, and the pain lessened, but the feeling stayed. Something was not going to go well today. 

The door crawled open with a squeal. Ryn's helmet filtered out the worst of it, but she saw Niko's eyes scrunch, so she assumed it was bad. The little ship crawled in the entryway. The droids detached, pulled the cathar out, and then gestured at the Mirialan to lead. He did, and it was a familiar confusion of twists and turns. Jabba hadn't wanted it to be easy to get to him, and even all the times Ryn had been in still wasn't enough to get her to make it to the throne room. It wasn't long before she saw Bib Fortuna's now evan larger form. She didn't even know that Twi'lek lekku could get that large. She knelt in front of him. 

"Your grace. I present Xundyrr Mirgak, frozen in carbonite. The contract is now fulfilled."

"Did you hurt him?"

"Say again, your grace?"

"Did. You. Hurt. Him."

"Apologies your grace, he did attack me. I believe I broke his nose. He may be a little bloody, but no permanent damage has been done."

"I did say as long as he was alive. I appreciate your speed and trust you will keep this silent. " She nodded at the fleshy Twi'lek, then slowly rose. " Your payment is with Niikohalex. I trust he will return you safely." Fortuna waved her away, towards Niko. "I have other matters to attend to. Guards, hang this cathar on the wall. At least for right now. Let's give him a little carbon sickness." Ryn gave and involuntary shudder. Being put in carbonite scared her. Niko took her hand and began walking her to the door. Ryn fell in step with him. He took her back through the maze that led through the palace, both of them in silence. The walls had ears here, so it wasn't worth talking. It was a quick trip, especially when they weren't dragging anything this time. The pair reached the little ship again, and Ryn crawled in first. They started moving slowly as the doors creaked open. Niko spoke first. 

"You- you could stay you know. We could use someone like you. With your talents. I need you here." Ryn stayed silent long enough for him to continue. " I just think it would be better use... to have you here. As protection. It would be safer, easier, more stable..." They were alone now, so Adira took her helmet off. She looked into his eyes again, this time unfiltered. Niko inhaled sharply. He never could get over how intense her eyes looked, especially with the one blue and one green one she had. She took his breath away no matter how many times he saw her face. 

"You know I can't Nik." He leaned in to brush one of her strawberry blonde strands behind her ear, but left his hand cupping her face. Her hair was in its usual half-bun. He didn't understand how her curls still looked so good, even after she had worn her helm all day. She was just..... pretty. "I can't stay. It's too dangerous."

"All bounty hunters are dangerous."  
"Not in the same way I am, Nik. I carry baggage the others do not." Her eyes moved to her feet. " I need to leave." He knew that was the end of the conversation. Her sentence carried weight, and it sat in the silence. The rest of the ride was short and in silence. Ryn stared out the windows as the twin suns started setting. Even after all the times she had seen it, it was still stunning every time. Nik watched her. He wanted to drink in her image all the he could until she was gone. The small ship pulled up outside the bay that held the Pursuer. Nik stopped it slowly while Ryn placed her helm back where it belonged. He lowered the ramp and followed Ryn until she she stopped on her ramp. He held a large credit pouch out to her. 

"The Hutts owe you a favor. As a sign of our gratitude, here is 500,000 credits. " Ryn gasped.

"I knew it was a lot of credits, but that many? Niko, that's a lot!" 

"You did us a great favor. It is also a reminder that we may call upon you in the future and hope that you will help. Your prestige alone is worth it. " Ryn stepped forward and pressed her domed forehead to his green uncovered one. The cold beskar felt amazing on his face, and Nik leaned into her a little. It was over too soon for him, but Nik knew when his time was up. He backed up, then spun on his heel and walked out. Ryn watched him go. She went up her own ramp and slid it up. She needed a drink. 

Ryn took all of her armor off. She changed into street clothes. No one would recognize her anyway. She pulled on the white tunic, her nice pair of black pants, her boots with the chunky heel, and her black leather jacket over the top. The ramp went back down and she stepped down. She heard gunshots in the bay next door, but didn't feel any pain from Peli, so she ignored it. The spotchka was calling her name. 

The cantina was close. It didn't take her long to get there. Ryn sauntered up to the bar and took the empty seat in the middle. " A glass of Spotchka, please." She didn't want anything strong enough to dull her senses, just one that took the edge of being around Bib Fortuna for any amount of time off. She wasn't scared of him, but he grossed her out with his disgusting form. Ryn stared at the little glowing glass in front of her and sighed. Bounty hunting was lucrative, but it still took a little out of her every time she did it. She took a sip, allowing herself to adjust to the bitterness. The terrible feeling flooded her again. She audibly groaned at the nausea, but stopped when she heard the noise. It was thudding, which she could sense more than hear. Then she heard something she definitely recognized, but never not on herself. The swish of a cloak over a beskar pauldron. A shadow fell over her and she gulped but willed herself not to look. She was never scared, but this moment scared her more than anything had in decades. The figure moved to her side and looked at the bartender. 

"A spotchka, please. A whole bottle." Ryn stared at her glass intensely, trying to focus her energy on him without looking. Another Mandalorian?? And his voice.... even through the vocoder sounded intense and mildly- what was the word she had heard so long ago? Sexy. No, no no she could not think that about somebody else. Too distracting. She felt the figure turn toward her. The bartender had left, grumbling about needing to go to the basement for a new bottle, which left them alone. "Are you from around here?" The gravely voice spoke again. Ryn ignored it, hoping he would just move on. "I heard there was another Mandalorian roaming around." Ryn finally turned to look at him. 

"I've never even heard of Mandalorians." She replied coolly. She emptied her glass. The bartender was taking a long time. Leaving the cost on the table, she slowly stood. "Can't say I've seen any that look like you either, if that's what you're trying to say." She gave a slight smile, but slipped up. She stared directly at his eyes. Din noticed and made note of it. He watched her turn, still meeting his gaze, then step away. He grabbed her arm. Ryn flipped around and raised her hand. "I do not care who you are, but if you EVER touch me again, I'll kill you without hesitation. She pulled her arm out of his grasp, spun on her heel, and headed once more for the door. Din took a step forward and grabbed her arm again. He normally wouldn't do anything like that, but he knew something was different about her and he had felt it at some point during his Tatooine trip, and it had gotten stronger when he walked into the bar. Something about her. 

Quicker than he could breath, a vibroblade was dug into his chin, under his helmet, and a light stream of blood came dribbling out across the cut. "I told you not to touch me again. You are lucky I am merciful." Din stuttered, and Ryn took her chance. She walked out of the bar while the mandalorian tried to calm his breathing. As soon as Ryn's feet touched the outside of the bar, she took off in the direction of the Pursuer.


	5. A Revelation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the next chapter: it's a little long since I made you guys wait. Thanks for the kudos and everything, it gets me excited to write!

Adira sprinted as fast as she could down the sandy path that led back to her bay and her ship. She knew that other Mandalorian was right behind her and that he would have questions. He would definitely be suspicious as to how she Knew that move under the helmet with the vibroblade: it was one she had learned from Pre Vizla before he had left and created Death Watch. It was something she hadn't had to use in a long time. The bay was close, and it only took her a few moments in her Force-fueled sprint. Peli was holding Grogu, rocking him slowly outside under the stars. It was clear that Adira startled her. " Peli. Tell him nothing. I am dead serious. DO NOT TELL HIM ANYTHING. " Peli cocked her head, obviously unaware who she was talking to without all the armor. "About my partner. He can't know." Adira spit that out at the end, hoping to cover her tracks. 

" Sure kiddo, I don't want to hurt you or your girl. " Adira was gone before Peli even finished her sentence. "Weird gal, that one is. Her and her partner have one odd relationship." Grogu cooed his reply. Adira launched herself on to The Pursuer, chucking a well-aimed bag of credits into the hands of the baytaker. He didn't even have time to blink before the ramp was shutting and the ship started to power up. Adira was in the cockpit, flicking switches as fast as she could, ignoring her pre-flight checks completely. Time was of the essence. The ship lifted, and as soon as she could see over the top of the bay, a silver figure holding a bright blue jug crashed into the wall, obviously trying to pay attention to the ship while he was sprinting full speed. Adira sighed in relief. It was time to lie low for awhile, and with the large amount of credits the Hutt's had given her it would not be hard. She set her course for Coruscant. There was a bar there that would happily welcome her back. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------

It took Din's legs a minute to catch up with his brain. That girl definitely knew or was some other type of Mandalorian. She had stared at him right in the eyes with no hesitation, for Maker's sake. And that thing with the knife? She was an impressive warrior to be sure. He couldn't have even blocked that one. The bartender had returned as soon as the knife had been drawn, so Din yanked the bottle off the counter, chucked some credit chips in its place, and started off in a dead sprint. He couldn't see her. She was extremely fast, faster than Din had ever even seen. He ran off in the direction of his ship, hoping that was where she had been headed. He could hear the startup of a ship engine and knew he was too late, but he kept going anyway. He looked up to see the ship in the bay right next to his, and ended up slamming in to the wall, spotchka away from him. He stood there, memorizing as much of the ship as he could. It was painted black, and the only reason he could see it at all in the night was the helmet filters. It would have been pretty, had it not contained someone who had literally just tried to kill him. Given, she did give him a double warning and could have killed him if she wanted, so he was grateful for that small victory, if it could be considered a victory at all. He turned and continued into his bay. Peli was there. 

"What are you crashing around for?" Din tilted his head just enough that Peli could consider it a questioning look. She remained silent. 

"Who was that?"

"Who is who, you confusing womp rat? One second I'm here, relaxing, the next there is a girl sprinting through here and you come crashing into the wall behind her. "

"You saw her? What do you know about her?"

"Nothing." She winced, knowing that the Mandalorian had picked up her unusually quick and uncomfortable answer. He stepped forward, towering over her. 

"Peli. I'm serious. Who is that girl, why is there a rumor of another Mandalorian here, and why did that girl know enough about Mandalorians she could do this?" He tilted his head up to show the slim line of blood. Peli made a face and stepped back. 

"All I know is there are two gals on that ship, one of them always stays on, and you never see both together. One is a full Mando, like you, the other is that gal you saw. They're bounty hunters, and damn good ones too. Both extremely dangerous. They park in my bay most often, but you took it this time. "

"Peli. Are you sure there are two girls? Are you sure it isn't the same girl who just doesn't take off her helmet around you?"

"Kriff. Listen, she asked me not to say anything to you. I know that the Mando has some connection to the kid, he didn't want to let her leave-"  
"YOU LET HER TOUCH THE KID?"

"If you would just let me finish, he ran to her, and hugged her leg when she put him down. She knows him, somehow. She hasn't said much about her past, other than I know she wasn't always a Mando. Both gals are real sweet, but if they're around I definitely would not want to have a bounty on my head. "

"Quit with the two girl thing, Peli. It's the same girl. And she isn't a Mandalorian obviously, because she takes the armor off and walks freely."

"If you want to know more about her, she's on retainer for the Hutts. Ask for the Mirialan, he seems to know her best." Din sighed. He had other things to do, but finding this fake Mandalorian was important. He had heard word pass through the covert that there was some unknown beroya, and if someone found out that it was someone he had come in contact with and not even talked to he would certainly get into trouble. Paz already hated him enough. He would go talk to the Mirilian. 

Din left the kid with Peli after she had convinced him that it was too dangerous to take him into a den of hunters who would kill him without warning. Din hesitantly agreed, knowing he had left the kid too long already, but felt alright since he was with someone he trusted. So he fed him, played for a couple minutes, the went off in the direction of Jabba's Palace. 

When he arrived, it was clear that there was a party going on. He knew Bib Fortuna had been spending Jabba's money, especially after the Hutt had died himself. Din was in no mood for that, it made the sensors in his helmet do weird things when there were flashing lights, and they reflected off his armor too much. He cursed himself for not gathering another cloak to cover some of it. He knew the maze that led down to the throne room by heart, and wondered silently how this girl was on retainer but he had never run into her in his dealings with the Hutts. Perhaps they had kept them away from each other on purpose. He quickly found himself in the throne room, his long strides and big build had forced the others to part down the middle, making it easy to get there. Peli had said the Mirialan, so presumably there would only be one of importance. He spotted him at the top, behind the large form of Bib Fortuna. The man clearly was the only sober one in the joint. Din walked up and kneeled in front of the throne. It took a moment, but Fortuna's large head eventually found Din. 

"What are you doing here Mandalorian? I have no work for you. "

"I must speak with the Mirialan. It is a matter of great importance." Fortuna pondered his words, though Din was pretty sure it was an attempt to understand through his inebriated haze. Eventually, Fortuna waved a meaty hand in the general direction of the hallway. 

"Do not do any damage, Mandalorian. I would hate to send the other one after her kin." Din bowed his head in an attempt to show his understanding, and Fortuna took it. This was another mention of this female Mandalorian, and Din was already more than a little obsessed. If it was the girl from the cantina.... she had some explaining to do. The Mirialan finally moved off the pedestal to the throne and waved at Din to follow him down a hallway. He was looking greener than usual, but Din chalked it up to the effect he tended to have on others. The pair soon found themselves in a mostly quiet but completely empty room not too far from the throne. The Mirialan waved at him again, urging him to sit down, but Din just leaned forward on the chair. 

"Niikohalex Foxhund. What can I do for you?"

" I think you know, Mirialan. "

"First off, I do have a name. If it is too complicated for someone like you to understand, call me Niiko. Second, I assume you are referring to the Mandalorian we keep on retainer. I know nothing about them. The relationship I have with that Mandalorian is strictly business." Din took the insult with an eyeroll and moved on. 

"You mean to tell me you have zero connection to the female Mandalorian, who apparently has no name? "

"Correct."

"Why is it that I know you're lying?" Niiko raised an eyebrow. He was, of course, he loved Adira way too much to tell a stranger about her, but he was impressed that this Mandalorian knew. 

"What makes you think I am?"  
"I have my reasons." Ah. This one spoke just like Adira: curt, obviously in charge, and only spoke when needed. "You love her, don't you? It's unrequited I assume, given how quick she left."

That hit Niiko right where Din intended: the heart. "I don't love her!" Niiko spat. "I never have." The fire in his eyes told Din that he was lying then too, so he stayed quiet and just started pacing from one end of the table to the other. "FINE! I did! I-- I do." Niiko looked ashamed. Din suppressed a snort. 

"Tell me everything you know, and I'll bring her home. " Niiko knew it was selfish. But if there was this Mandalorian, willing to scare Adira into coming to him, he would do anything. 

"Fine. She goes by a lot of names. The most common is Star and Nebula. " Din stayed quiet so he would continue. "If you haven't seen her before, which I assume you haven't, her armor is painted to look like a galaxy, hence the nicknames. She won't tell me anything about her past, but I know she did some really messed up stuff. Stuff so bad she won't even talk about it. She just calls it 'baggage'. I know she hasn't been a Mandalorian her whole life, but she swore some sort of creed at some point. She's real pretty underneath that helmet though. She doesn't take it off unless we are alone, but I assume that's like, normal or whatever. She's got this light reddish hair, it's curly. And her eyes- they're stunning, one is blue and one is green-" Din wanted to cut him off. There was so much to unpack here, and Din was not equipped for any of it. The two different colored eyes though- that explained why they had shown up so weird with the filter. None of this explained why she seemed to radiate power, and not in the way he did. Din noticed the Mirialan was still talking. " And these freckles. She's got scars all over her face... at some point she didn't wear helmets or nothing. The cape she wears makes her eyes pop like crazy, and every time I see her I just wanna rip it off-"

"That's enough. What's her name?" Din couldn't stand any more of this lovey dovey pining. It was gross at best. 

"Adira. Adira E'voss, was what she told me awhile back, but I know that's not her real last name. Wait, I wasn't supposed to share that.." Niiko smacked his forehead. Din felt bad momentarily, but she wasn't a true Mandalorian, so he pushed it aside quickly. He stopped his pacing and stared at the Mirialan, who now had his head sitting in his hands and a couple little tears running down his face. Din was now too uncomfortable to continue. He did feel a little guilty about making the dude spill, which was unfamiliar. The kid was making him soft. He decided to leave the Mirialan to his angst and slipped out the door. He had a name now. Not a full one, but enough he could start doing some tracking. The girl-no, Adira, occupied his thoughts all the way back to Bay 3-5.


	6. Unanswered Questions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter, it's an interim for the next one, which will be much longer and include a time jump.

Adira knew there was a bar in Coruscant that still needed a bouncer. If not a bouncer, perhaps a showgirl. She knew she was good enough to do both. This Mando would be after her for sure. She would bet her sabers he was from that break-off group of Death Watch, whatever they were called. For now, she was safe in hyperspace, and it would be awhile before she was in range of Coruscant. The ship was stable now, so she stood up and started pacing the cockpit. This Mandalorian was something else. He had been the first person to peg her as the other Mando when she was only in street clothes. Not only that, but his general presence shattered her carefully put together Force shield. He had touched her, and just like Grogu she became painfully aware of all the beings in the place, their aura, and their threat level. She hadn’t done that in years. Not since before she left Coruscant the first time. She pulled out her datapad and started making a list.   
-Who is this ‘other’ Mando?  
-Why did he seem so interested in me?   
-Where is he from??  
-What was he hiding?  
-WHY DOES HE HAVE GROGU??????  
After thinking about Grogu, Adira was a little upset at herself. He was with a stranger! He was with an actual bounty hunter! At least she could take him to Ahsoka or Luke or even Leia, for Maker’s sake. She slammed her fist on the table. “Dank Ferrik!” The Dejarik game she had been playing against herself popped on, and Adira rubbed her pinky where she had hit it a little too hard. Then she had to account for that other thing, too. She had found him hot. She technically had never broken that part of the Jedi Code, but for him, after only knowing him for an instant, she would have broken it. Her! Adira, who had always been the one to advocate for the ability to have loved ones, something she never even had. She had thought about it after watching Ben pine over Satine, then compounded after watching the relationship between Anakin and Padmé. She had been the only one to stand by both men, and had been the only one that both of them had ever confessed their love to. Through all of it, she had sat by, keeping her friends as close as she could, knowing that she would never find love the same way they had. But now, after all this time, she ran into someone she knew from the order and his babysitter, and she had somehow been interested in the babysitter! Perhaps, if he found her, she could make a deal about being a different caregiver. But then again, if he was from Death Watch, he most definitely wanted her dead. So she added another question:   
-Which sect? 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Din was physically far from Adira, but his mind was swimming with questions about her. He had learned quite a bit from the Mirilian, but not enough to actually track her down. Her name though: Adira E’voss? It was a name someone had to know, even he had faintly recognized the last name. The name Adira was significant, too: in several languages it meant ‘strong, mighty, and noble’. It was a warrior’s name for sure. But the Mirilian had also said she had ‘baggage’ she wouldn’t talk about, and there was no way she was just talking about the fact that she was a beroya. Perhaps she had broken her creed but continued to wear the armor? She stayed on his mind the whole time he talked to Ran, the whole time he flew there, and then he even compared her to Xi’an when he saw her (though he would have much rather worked with Adira, that much was to be sure. And she most likely wouldn’t betray him in the end.) He thought about how small and soft her hands had looked, even when they held a blade to his throat, while he was cauterizing the small cut from the knife that had landed in the soft part of his shoulder. He didn’t want to say he was smitten, but he was interested. Who wouldn’t be, after something like that? He couldn’t stand not knowing who she was. He resolved to ask the Armorer what he should do and if the two knew each other by any chance. For now, he still had the Child to take care of, and he was most important of all.


	7. Setting the Bait

Adira landed on Coruscant as far from her destination location as she could. It was smart, she knew, but it would leave her vulnerable if this other Mando ever came looking. She had made the educated guess that since she frequented the inner rim and never saw him, he must have been an outer rim bounty hunter. It would make sense, especially if he was trying to stay around Nevarro like Greef had told her. Now that Greef had called her to tell her not to come looking for Guild work around there, she knew about the shoot-out that had led to his running away with Grogu. At least he had cared for the kid, so she wasn’t terribly worried. He wouldn’t come to Coruscant, not with the bounty he had on his own head. So Coruscant would stay, and hopefully Mando had other issues to deal with. Adira packed all the stuff she needed, then put all the armor on. Her lightsabers were behind her back, mostly hidden. She wasn’t willing to leave them behind, even with the security protocols on her ship. Fully armored and with all her important possessions on her back, Adira made her way to the nearest shuttle station. 

When Adira arrived in Galactic City, she headed straight to her favorite cantina, The Broken Rancor. At one point, it had been the only cantina in the city, and when it grew they never had gotten around to changing the name. The cantina had been updated since she had last seen it, and she knew it had moved farther from being a place to get drinks and more in the direction of getting a lap dance. That wasn’t exactly her forte, but it looked like they just needed another bouncer anyway. She had walked right in to the rose-lit bar and up to the most seasoned looking dancer. “I’m looking for Patch. They around here?” The dancer giggled. She pointed right behind Adira. She turned around slowly. There stood the Chiss, leaning up against the bar. Her long black hair was pulled back in the front, and the pink lights made her eyes glow even more eerily.   
“Looking for someone, you lovely loth-cat?” Adira broke into a wide grin, not that the woman could see it. Adira knew she felt it though, because soon enough her sharp teeth were seen through the black lips.   
“You know I can’t stay away for long, Patch.”  
“Of course not, darling. Who could stand to be away from my charm for that long? Come come darling. I assume you have a favor to ask.” Adira rolled her eyes, but moved forward to follow. She stopped abruptly when she realized that something was tugging on her cape. She turned around. It was the dancer from before.   
“You should come see me later, Mando. We have a lot to talk about.” She winked, and Adira felt heat rise in her cheeks. She didn’t even know the dancer, she wasn’t sure what they would need to talk about. She shook her head and turned back to follow Patch, who was now grinning wolfishly. Adira followed her into the back room, where Patch triple locked the door. Adira took her helmet off and smoothed down her hair. Patch gently took the helmet out of her hands and set it on the table.   
“Adira. That dancer was the one you saved last time.The one who had her throat slit. She owes you her life.” Adira paused in shock.   
“I didn’t do anything more than a normal person would have.”  
“Adira. You stuck your fingers into her neck, held her jugular shut, then cauterized it. All in less than two minutes. Normal people don’t do that.” Adira bit her lip. True, no one else would have. Not with the reaction time she had, and not with the precision. Patch continued. “I assume you came here for a reason, Adira. Not just because you felt like taking a Coruscant vacation.”  
“Who says I didn’t? Maybe I wanted a break from Outer Rim nothingness.” Patch didn’t say anything, just raised one immaculate eyebrow. “Okay, you’re right. There is this other Mando, I ran into him, I gotta lay low for a while. He doesn’t come to the Inner Rim.” Patch stepped forward and pulled Adira into a hug.   
“I’m so proud of you! Finally breaking a boy’s heart like I always wanted you to!”  
“I didn’t-”  
“I can see the way your pupils got bigger when you said his name. And not even his real name. I think you got it bad, my little loth cat. Shocking, how such a strong woman can fall so hard. Tell everything you know.”  
“I don’t know anything, Patch. I really don’t know anything but his fancy armor. It was pure silver, unpainted. Clearly brand new. No signet yet. All I know is he saved someone I used to know, shot up the Guild to keep the Asset he stole and then Imperials wiped out his little covert. I need you to put feelers out, but nothing too obvious.” Patch let Adira out of her spine-snapping hug and sighed.   
“If it means I can get you a boy toy, I’ll do anything. If any being in this galaxy deserves a good bone, it’s you.” Adira rolled her eyes, fully aware that Patch could see her this time. “You can stay here as long as you need. I do need a bouncer. And if you are willing to take off the entire tin can, I need a frontliner for Friday nights. I heard through the grapevine that your pipes are still good.” It was Adira’s turn to sigh, but hers was more forced.   
“I’ll do it. Anything that means I can stay.” Patch tossed the bucket back, watching as Adira caught it behind her back while walking toward the door.   
“Keep your sabers hidden, loth cat. I can’t protect you from the fallout if people find out you have them. There’s an empty room upstairs, Room 1415.” Adira headed out the door and up the stairs. She had this awful feeling- something dark. She had to do something she hadn’t done in a long time, and she was worried of all the memories it might bring back. Adira resolved to focus her meditation on this new Mando and Grogu. Perhaps there was something she could learn.  
Adira soon settled into a routine at the bar. Most nights she would suit up and stand at the door, her very presence enough to make the kids jump out of line and the creepy men scatter. The dancers hadn’t felt safer, they said. The rest of the nights she was out of the suit, all dressed up and pretty in some outfit that Patch had given her. She even covered her scars those nights. Not all of them, but the biggest ones that simple minded men found unattractive. Even dressed in little to no clothing, flowy dresses with thigh high slits and all manner of crazy things Patch had said was attractive, she somehow radiated power, enough that it made the weak men flounder and even drunk men have trouble flirting. The routine was comforting. Patch had found nothing on the other mandalorian, and it was soon long enough that Adira found herself relaxing, almost comfortable. He wouldn’t come here, would he? He couldn’t, not with the child and his bounty still larger than life. So it was there that Adira stayed, making friends with the dancers but still staying aloof. She might even call herself happy. The times she was in bed were the only uncomfortable times. She found herself thinking of Grogu, and eventually his caretaker. Were they safe? Probably not, if she was being honest. It only made her worry, and some days she was more focused on them than she was anyone else. Everything was normal, until a couple months later her comm beeped. She clicked it on, to see none other than her close friend Niiko.   
“Adiirrraaaaaa!!” It was more a wail than it was anything else. “AdiraI’msosorryItoldhimeverythingacouplemonthsagoandnowIthinkyou’rekarked!” Adira held up her hand to silence him and tilted her head.   
“Nik. You’ve gotta say that again, but at like, ¼ speed dude. I didn’t understand anything other than my own name.” She could see tears running down his face, and it freaked her out a little bit. Niiko didn’t cry, he was high on the top of an international crime syndicate. He took a couple deep breaths and tried again.   
“Adira. I made a huge mistake. A couple months ago that other Mando came looking and I---- I told him almost everything I knew. He said he could bring you back home, scare you into staying and it was right after you told me you couldn’t. It was a moment of weakness, and I thought I could hide it from you. But I heard that a certain Mando in shiny silver armor was back on Nevarro and he got cornered by Imperials. I know I should have-'' Adira cut him off again.   
“Nik, do you know which Imperials were on Nevarro? What was his name?”  
“Some old dude, I heard. He killed almost everyone in the town, but I think the New Republic put him up on some bounty site.” Adira grabbed her datapad and looked at the New Republic most wanted. In a cold blue hue sat a man she knew: someone who had hurt her before. Moff Gideon.   
“Niiko. I need the Mandalorian’s comm. Do you have it? “  
“I already tried to get a hold of him. Nothing worked.” Adira growled.   
“Is he still looking for me?”  
“Should be.”  
“Ok Nik. I gotta go. I need to find the Mandalorian.” Without any further ado, Adira turned off the hologram and sprinted out the door. She launched herself into Patch’s room without bothering to knock. Patch turned away from the mirror, somehow completely unfazed by the sudden intrusion. “Patch. I need to headline. I need you to plaster my face over everything you can and add my name.” Patch blinked.  
“You said you wanted anonymity here. Now all of the sudden you want me to headline you, through your entire self out there on the street and hope no one finds it?” Adira smiled at her. “This is for the Mando, isn’t it? You just want to lure him out.” When Adira didn’t answer, Patch continued. “Maker, Adira, this is bold, even for you. Especially when your life depends on you being hidden.”   
“I know, Patch. Nothing about my armor or anything, just me. Make sure you highlight my eyes.”  
“Your…. Eyes.”  
“Yes Patch. He knows, it should make it obvious for him.” Patch sat back, confused.   
“You want to bang him that bad? Maker, I could just have someone dress up like him or something. You’ve been so distracted lately, it must have been because of him.” Adira rubbed her eyes, pushing hard enough until she saw stars. She didn’t know what to say, so she just pulled out the datapad and showed it to Patch. The Chiss didn’t even have to think when she looked at the dark haired, evil man staring back at her. No name was even needed. She just nodded her reply. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Adira may have been having an okay time on Coruscant, but Din was most definitely not enjoying anything right now at all. Moff Gideon had just blown him up, for goodness sake. Now he was standing in front of the Armorer, half-dead, watching her melt down the armor of the people who he had gotten killed. And she was talking about how the Child was now his, and had added on his signet. A blast distracted them for a second, and Din knew they needed to leave. She gave him his jetpack, and soon blaster-fire filled the hallway.   
“Be safe on your journey.”   
“Wait- there was a woman. Another Mandalorian. What do you know about Clan E’voss?”  
‘Ah. So she lives. She is extremely dangerous, the last of her clan. They are of House Vizla, that should give you some information. Find her, she will aid in your quest. Now you must go.”   
“Thank you.”   
All of them had escaped, other than the IG unit. Din felt a little guilty about that one. It had been all he had left of Kuill, and he had to bury him too. The Razor Crest was empty once again. This time though, he had been the one to empty it, and it was permanent. He was trying to find any other Mandalorians, and the woman, Adira, seemed like his best bet. He was trying to recollect what she looked like, so he had turned to drawing. He hadn’t done it in a long time, but it seemed to be the easiest way to put together all the snippets about her he remembered. Her nose was straight but had a small bump on the top. She had a huge scar running down from her eyebrow to her cheek. She had different colored eyes and freckles- none of the pictures looked right. He crumpled up this one too, he knew it wasn’t even close. He put his helmet in his hands. This woman would be harder to find than he thought. He heard a small giggle from the pram and realized the Child must be awake. He remembered what Peli said. Something about this girl had connected with the little womp rat, so maybe he knew. Din picked the child out of his pram and opened up the Galaxy Map.   
“What do you think, kid? Where is the nice lady you met?” The kid babbled and reached out, eyes taking in the many planets. Din sighed. Of course he didn’t know. It was a long shot at best. But then something happened. The Child pointed straight at the big planet in the very middle. Din moved the map around, seeing if it was an accident or if he really knew. The Child pointed straight at it and started to make his grabby hands. Din zoomed in this time. Coruscant? Surely it wasn’t true. Her armor was as distinctive as her face, there was no way she was hiding there. He pulled out his datapad and looked at the Coruscant news. On the very front page of the Cantina Daily, which Din had found the most readable, in bright hues, was the exact woman he was looking for. ‘Adira E’voss,’ it read, ‘frontlining The Broken Rancor, her first. A native of Naboo, she has an extremely impressive voice, and says that this has always been her dream. When asked if she wanted to celebrate her success with anyone, she only laughed, but then replied with a message for someone who was looking for her, and she refused any explanation or translation. She simply said that the someone would know. If that someone is you, her message is, “Copaani gaan, ner vod? Gar ori'buyce, kih'kovid.” Then she winked again. Her headline performance will begin at 9 pm on this coming Saturday.’ Din laughed at her remarks. She wanted him to come find her. She was baiting him, and this time he had to bite. He had to find the Jedi, and something told him she would be able to help. He patted Grogu on his little head.   
“You did good, kid. Thank you.” Din stood up and placed Grogu in his little seat he had built to keep him safer. He made sure the belts were tight, then set the course for Coruscant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would love a beta if anyone was interested! Thank you guys for the kudos!!
> 
> Mando'a translation:   
> Copaani gaan, ner vod: Need a hand, my brother?  
>  Gar ori'buyce, kih'kovid: you are all helmet, no head.


	8. The Tease

Adira had a feeling that what she had done had worked. As the night drew closer, she had a feeling both the Child and the Mando were near. It may have been the dream she had where they were both in the back of the club, watching, waiting for her to finish, or perhaps it was the Force. She had, after all, allowed it back into her life again after she had seen Grogu. While she was on Coruscant, her signature would blend enough with the old temple it would be hard to find anyways. Friday soon came, and she sat in front of the mirror behind the stage. Patch was behind her, putting the finishing touches on her hair.   
“What if they aren’t here, Patch? Everything I’ve done could get me killed.”

“Darling. They will be here. He couldn’t resist you. Look at you.” Patch picked her up off the chair and brought her to the full length mirror. Her dress was black, with an almost see through corset top and long flowy bottom. It glittered in the light. Patch had clearly chosen it to look like the night sky. “Any man who can resist this isn’t worth having anyways.” Adira shook her head. 

“It’s not about that, Patch. It’s important that he’s here. It’s not about him, it’s about the kid. And Gideon.”  
“I know, loth-cat. If he doesn’t show, I’ll send someone out, like I should have done ages ago. He’s here. I know it.” Adira pushed the curl Patch had purposefully left out behind her ear. She hoped Patch was right.   
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Din walked into The Broken Rancor at 9 p.m. sharp. He didn’t like being on Coruscant, especially not with the child, but he had to talk to this girl. He was glad he had gotten there early, it had taken a bit of an argument to make the bouncer let him in. Din clung to the wall, and after reaching the middle of the stage he leaned back and crossed his arms, putting all his weight on the wall. A few glances were given his way, but nobody focused on him. He supposed that the girl had been around in her armor and thus had desensitized most of them to the sight of a Mandalorian. He didn’t wait long before the lights dimmed and focused on the stage. A lovely looking Chiss woman walked out from behind the curtain.   
“Ladies, Gentlemen, beasts. I am excited to have you all here. Tonight is the debut show of my longtime friend Adira. She isn’t taken, but does have her eye on someone so you are going to have to try hard, if you know what I mean.” The woman winked, so subtle Din was sure most people didn’t catch it. Her eyes were boring into his skull. “You are all in for a very special treat, all of her songs are from a planet far far away and mostly new to us, me included. Her last number was planned by me. Enjoy!” The Chiss bowed, then stepped off the stage. The curtains opened and Din’s jaw dropped. She was more stunning than he remembered. Her eyes stood out among the dress he assumed was supposed to look like the night sky, her light red hair and freckles contrasting against the dark fabric. Her skin looked tan, but not in a fake way. Her scars though. They were missing. Din tilted his head. She had started singing now, and he couldn’t ignore the way that her deep breaths made her chest stick out against the gentle corset. He knew she was singing in basic, but he ignored the words and focused on the melody. Her voice was good, they weren’t kidding. Soon, she moved into faster songs, singing in a way Din wouldn’t have expected. He was focused only on her, and wasn’t even paying attention to his surroundings. She was drifting around tables now, and he hoped at some point she would come around to him. It worked. She had moved into some more provocative songs, and he was outright ignoring the words now, knowing full well he wouldn’t be able to control his reaction. Soon she was back at the stage.   
“Alright everybody! This is the finale, the one that my dear friend told you about. Hope you all enjoy it!” Her dress came off, and she was only in a pair of tight shorts and a barely there bra. Din’s breath hitched. He almost wondered if it was for him, then pushed away the thought. She was singing again, and oh Maker she was moving toward him. She flipped a credit over her shoulder and caught it in beat to the song, matching the lyrics. She walked closer and closer and she was at his chest now….. Her hand moved to the spot just above his cuirass where his cloak was. She was too close for him to not pay attention now. “Call you daddy, give me a nickname..”She sang as she ran her hand down from that spot to the middle of his chest. Din would have choked if his mouth wasn’t drier than the Jakku desert. He almost missed the wink she gave him afterwards as she walked away, and didn’t even notice that she had put something in the space between his cuirass and kute until it poked him uncomfortably. He gently fished it out. A room key, to room 1415. Din didn’t wait for her to finish, he grabbed the kids pod (which was still closed, he may take him to dangerous situations but he definitely wasn’t about to let the kid watch a lap dance, which were apparently plentiful here) and moved toward the stairs. The guard that was standing there saw the key and let him up. He stalked up the stairs and down the hall until he found the room. He stuck the key in and took a deep breath before he entered. This was it, Din knew. No hiding now. He started poking around a bit. The singing was still going on downstairs, so he figured he had a minute. The room looked like a typical one bedroom apartment. She had few belongings, but it seemed that all her outfits were hung on a standing rack on one side of the bed. Something else must be in her closet, then. Din slid the door open. There were just.. More outfits? She didn’t strike him as someone entirely invested in clothing, if she was who he thought she was. He pushed aside a fluffy dress and there it was. Another door. He pulled this one open and saw it. Sitting gently on the shelves like it had been placed there ritually (it probably had) was a full armor set. He tapped his vambrace on it gently and heard the light ping. Beskar. He dug around for another minute until he heard a light cough.   
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Adira had watched the metal man walk up the stairs after he had finally noticed the key. Maybe she had gone a little too far, but she did want to play with him a little. He did deserve it, after what he had done last time. Besides, she was just as uncomfortable with this whole situation. Adira’s body was meant for fighting men, not dancing on them. She finished her set, then pulled the light shift around her shoulders.   
“Goodnight everybody!” She started trying to make her way to the stairs. She hadn’t heard what Patch had said before she went on, but she was certain now it was something about flirting with her because nobody would leave her alone. She had turned down 10 drinks, 7 dates, and 4 kisses before she reached the staircase. The guard seemed reluctant to let her up, not wanting to deal with everyone once she had gone. Adira simply lowered her brow at him and he got the jist. She moved quickly up the stairs and down to her room. She took a deep breath and calmed herself before anything else, then walked in. Adira was quiet enough that the giant man who was buried in her closet didn’t notice her arrival. He was digging through to try and find her beskar, which she was sure he did. As long as her sabers remained unfound, Adira was sure she would be fine. She cleared her throat. “Are you done?”


End file.
